London Rifle Brigade Cemetery

Cemetery Details

Location Rijselseweg, Ploegsteert, Hainaut - Wallonia, Belgium
Co‑ordinates N50.72107, E2.88245
Description

London Rifle Brigade Cemetery is located 15 Kms south of Ieper town centre, on a road leading from the Rijselseweg, N365, which connects Ieper to Wijtschate, Mesen, Ploegsteert and on to Armentieres. From Ieper town centre the Rijselsestraat runs from the market square, through the Lille Gate (Rijselpoort) and directly over the crossroads with the Ieper ring road. The road name then changes to the Rijselseweg. The cemetery lies 800 metres beyond the village of Ploegsteert, on the right hand side of the N365.

The commune of Ploegsteert remained under Allied occupation for much of the First World War, but was in German hands from 10 April to 29 September 1918. London Rifle Brigade Cemetery was begun by units of the 4th Division in December 1914, and used by fighting units and field ambulances until March 1918; some German burials were made in April and May. The cemetery owes its name to the 22 burials of the London Rifle Brigade (which then belonged to the 4th Division) in Plot III, made in January, February and March 1915. The cemetery now contains 335 Commonwealth and 18 German burials of the First World War. In June 1927, Lieut.-General Sir H.F.M. Wilson, late G.O.C. 4th Division, unveiled a tablet set in the wall at the north corner of the cemetery, commemorating the dedication of the cemetery by the Bishop of London on Easter Day 1915, and the sacrifice of 91 officers and 1,831 other ranks of the regiment during the war. The cemetery was designed by Charles Holden.

 

 

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Names

Showing 8 people of interest from cemetery

STEVENSON, Lemuel Mervyn

Service number 3126
Private
11th Machine Gun Company
AIF WW1
Born 11 Apr 1894

TUCKER, Spencer Gordon

Service number 577
Private
36th Infantry Battalion
AIF WW1
Born 1 Dec 1894

TURNER, John Robinson

Service number 3130
Private
43rd Infantry Battalion
AIF WW1
Born 25 Sep 1893

WALES, Ernest

Service number 8222
Sergeant
6th Field Artillery Brigade
AIF WW1
Born 4 Jan 1887

PEARCE, Francis Robert

Service number 4222
Gunner
6th Field Artillery Brigade
AIF WW1
Born 6 May 1889

CHANDLER, Harry

Service number 1632
Corporal
28th Infantry Battalion
AIF WW1

DRADDY, John Thomas Patrick

Service number 665
Private
41st Infantry Battalion
AIF WW1
Born 1 Nov 1896

WINCH, Francis James

Service number 20175
Sergeant
Born 1885

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